Valentine's Day
by Rhonda1
Summary: *Conclusion updated*...Sydney plans a special Valentine's Day for Vaughn
1. Finding the Dress brings about the Inter...

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. 

Summary: Sydney has plans for Valentine's Day with Vaughn. Hopefully, some humor and romance.

Review if you like.  Be kind…my first fanfic ever…

Los Angeles 

Sydney and Francie were doing a typical best-girlfriend thing on a sunny winter day.  They were out shopping for Francie's trousseau and they happened to drop in to a very exclusive store that sold the most spectacular cocktail dresses.  Francie didn't know where Charlie was planning to take her on their honeymoon (he had insisted on making all the arrangements), but she figured she would need at least one new evening outfit.

While Francie was in the dressing room, Sydney browsed through a rack of dresses.  She wasn't really looking for anything special as she wasn't exactly Miss Party Girl these days, but it was something to do to pass the time.

That's when she saw it.  A wispy little red slipdress that looked as if it had been made just for her. The fabric felt like silk against her fingers and the color was a very becoming scarlet.  Nothing like her "Bozo" hair as Vaughn liked to call it.  _Why had he suddenly popped into her head_? She wondered. Then she let herself think about if Vaughn ever saw her in this dress.

"Oh, Syd, that is adorable!" Francie suddenly appeared over her shoulder.  "You have to buy it!"

"You think?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely." Francie said firmly. "It would look fabulous on you and besides, it's on sale for Valentine's Day. How can you go wrong?"

"Valentine's Day…" Sydney murmured, suddenly remembering that the holiday was in the not-too-far-distant future.  Should she get something for Vaughn?  Or would it seem too forward of her? After all, they weren't a couple nor had there ever been even a hint of a romantic encounter between them.

Still, she felt that she had to do something.  She knew there were _feelings_ between them. So why not push the envelope to see where they might lead?

That brought up another dilemma.  What kind of gift would she give to him? With a start, she realized she knew virtually nothing about the man. She knew he'd recently broken up with a girlfriend, she knew where he worked and that his father had been a CIA agent killed when he was eight years old.

But what did he do when he wasn't working? Did he jog or play the guitar or paint? Did he like biographies or mysteries or science fiction? God, she didn't even know how he took his coffee or his favorite food.

With a determined look on her face, Sydney marched up to the cash register with the red dress in hand.  There was some serious interrogation to be done and she was just the woman to do it.

That evening she'd gone to the warehouse about half an hour before their scheduled meeting time, looking like your typical student, dressed in sweats and a tank top, a backpack on her back.  She slipped into the warehouse unnoticed by the cover of darkness and walked noiselessly along the concrete floors to her destination. _Their place_, she thought wryly. Some couples have a favorite restaurant; others had a favorite nightclub.  Her favorite rendezvous spot was a cold, dimly lit warehouse stacked so high with wooden crates that she didn't even want to think about what they held. The ambience was definitely lacking and she would ditch the crates in favor of a cozy sofa in a heartbeat, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Sydney hopped up onto a crate and slipped the backpack from her shoulders.  She unzipped the pocket and took out a notebook and a pen.  She'd already come up with a few questions to ask Vaughn, but she wasn't exactly sure how to slip them into casual conversation. They didn't exactly have casual conversations, which made it doubly difficult.

She supposed she could tell him she was doing a survey for a sociology course. Did he know what she was studying? She couldn't remember if she'd ever told him. 

_How about telling him the truth_? That she wanted to get to him better. Would that freak him out or would it please him?

Once she started her list, she couldn't stop and she was so engrossed in writing down her questions, she didn't hear the footsteps until he was practically in front of her.

"Sydney?"

She started, even though she normally wasn't a jumpy person. She looked up and found Vaughn looking at her in that calming way he had.

"Hello," She closed her notebook and put down her pen.

"You're here early." He observed. Usually, he was always the one waiting for her and it unnerved him a bit to have her already there when he arrived. Now there was no time to compose himself, get the mask in place, so to speak.

"I was just making notes on a paper I have due next week." She explained.

"And the library was closed?" Vaughn raised an eyebrow. She looked adorable in her tank top and sweats, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and her face devoid of any makeup.  He suddenly had a glimpse of the tomboy she must have been when she was a kid.

"It just seemed easier to come here." Sydney shrugged carelessly.

"Okay," He dropped the subject. "Now about Geneva. The CIA would like you to--"

"Vaughn, what do you eat for breakfast?" She interrupted.

Vaughn was so thrown by her question, he completely lost his train of thought. "Huh, what?"

"What do you eat?" She repeated her question as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Dry toast, cold cereal, bagels with cream cheese…"

"I think I know what a breakfast food is, Sydney." Vaughn cut her off before she started in on all the different types of omelets.

"Good, then you can answer the question." She gazed at him expectantly.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"_Why_ should I answer the question?"  
  


"Because what you eat for breakfast tells a lot about a person." She replied in a most serious manner. "I mean, some people eat the same thing everyday, which is sort of boring, don't you think?  I'd hate to be in that sort of a rut, wouldn't you?"

"I…guess so." Either she was losing her mind or he was losing his. "What is this all about, anyway?"

"Are you the type of person who eats the same thing everyday?"

"Are you going to think I'm in a rut if I say yes?"

"Will you quit answering my questions with another question?" She scolded him. "Now is it yes or no?" She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Yes…no—I mean, I don't." He stammered out, a bit flustered. "I don't even remember what  I'm saying yes or no to, but for your information, I eat whatever's in my house." He finally blurted out. "Can we get back to your mission now?"

"Oh, sure." Sydney said in her most blasé fashion.

Sydney was leaving for Switzerland in the morning.  BG Laboratories, one of the world's leading research facilities in biotechnology, had recently developed a method of cloning animals and then speeding up the process of aging them to adulthood. Sloane had received intel that K-Directorate was in the market to "acquire" the top secret plans in order to try a little human experimentation and their aim was to do so during a press conference the lab was holding two days from now to announce their great discovery to the world.  Sydney's mission was to get there first.

"Sloane only wants me to download the lab's computer files. He doesn't really plan to do anything with the them because I think that sort of thing unnerves him, but he just doesn't want K-Directorate to get their hands on the plans."

"But the lab's computer only contains half of the formula. Their security system is set up so that the other half of the formula is on the director's personal computer at home." Vaughn told her.

"Rather risky, don't you think?"

"You should see the security at his house." He replied. "Infrared sensors, security cameras covering every inch of the grounds, attack dogs…"

"Let me guess," Sydney gave him a droll look. "The CIA wants both halves of the formula."

Vaughn gave her a little smile. "Sorry, I don't make the decisions. I just make sure they get carried out."

"And how am I supposed to get into the house with all that security?"  
  


"The Lab's Director, Jakob Lindt, is holding a reception the night before to celebrate his discovery.  We've arranged to have you put on the guest list."

Sydney and Vaughn discussed the logistics of her getting into Lindt's office and downloading his personal files into the CIA's computers. When it appeared he was winding down, she hit him again with one of her questions.

"Vaughn, do you watch old movies?"

He did another double take. "Sure, if it's one I like." He said slowly, unsure where their conversation was headed next.

"What's your favorite?" She threw in. "And it has to be made before…oh, say 1950."

He gave her a strange look. _What was with all the questions today_? Then he realized she was waiting for his answer. He racked his brain.

"_Casablanca_." He said the first movie that popped into his mind. It actually was one of his favorites; he wasn't just trying to keep her happy by making up an answer. There must be some sort of method to her madness, so he'd play along until he could figure it out.

"Good choice." Sydney nodded approvingly. "Although I'm partial to Bette Davis movies myself. There's just something about her, you know?"

Vaughn was beginning to think the same thing albeit not about Bette Davis. "Sydney." The way he said her name was a statement rather than a question.

"Yes?" She looked up at him oh-so-innocently.

"What's with the Twenty Questions bit?"

"Oh, you caught on to that, did you?" She grinned, showing off her dimples and melting his insides in the process.  "I thought I was being so discreet."

He struggled to hide a smile. "You'd never make it as a spy, Sydney." He teased her. "You better stick to your day job." Sydney laughed out loud and then his face did break out into a heart-stopping grin.

"Okay, the truth is, I was thinking the other day how much I didn't know about you." She said, feeling awkward.

Vaughn was surprised but pleased by her answer.  It made him feel good to hear that she thought about him in ways other than the context of their jobs. He decided to cut her some slack.

"So that's what all of your out-of-the-blue questions were about?" He said in a gentle voice.

"Yeah," She said, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, okay, then ask whatever you want." He hopped up onto the crate opposite her.

"You don't mind?" Sydney gave him a surprised look. "You don't have to be anywhere?"

Truth was, there was no place on earth he'd rather be than in a dingy warehouse with Sydney, but he played it cool.

"I have some time."

Sydney smiled happily. "Okay, we'll start out with an easy one." She opened her notebook.

"You wrote them down?"

She gave him an impish look. "Once I got started, I realized there was a lot I don't know about you." Sydney gave him a dazzling smile. "Favorite ice cream?"

Vaughn had to grin at the simplicity of her question.  She could have asked him his philosophy of life or where he planned to be in five years, but instead she got down to what was most important in life.

"Rocky road."

"Hmmm, I wouldn't have pegged you as a marshmallow lover." She commented absently. "Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Favorite food?"

"Italian." He couldn't believe she was taking notes.

"Favorite kind of music?"

"I can't say I have a favorite. I like classical, jazz." He replied and then wondered if that made him sound like a nerd. "I like the Stones, too. Mostly their older stuff." He added quickly.

"Interesting combination." She observed. "Favorite sexual position?" She asked with a completely straight face.

"_What_?!?" He choked out.

Sydney shot him an amused look. "That was a joke, Vaughn." She laughed. "We were just on such a roll with the questions that I thought I'd throw that one in to shock you."

_So she was playing with him, huh_? Vaughn thought to himself. He wondered what she'd say if he turned the tables on her.

"You know, I don't mind answering the question." He said in a husky voice, looking sideways at her.

Her head jerked up from the page she was reading and she met his gaze, a flirtatious glint in his eyes. The mood in the room suddenly turned electric.

"Why, Agent Vaughn, if I didn't know it was against company policy, I'd think you were flirting with me." Sydney said coyly.

"Actually, I don't think it says anything about that in the CIA handbook." He bantered back.

"Well, I'll have to check my copy and get back to you on that." Sydney felt her face grow warm and looked down at her notebook.

"If you say so, Syd." He said blithely, delighting in the fact that he hadn't turned into a blithering idiot under Sydney's scrutiny.

There were a few moments of silence. Vaughn was the first to break it.

"Next question, Sydney?" He said in a gentle manner.

"Um, yeah," She cleared her throat. "Did you have a pet when you were a kid?"

"Yeah, I had a dog." He replied. "My mother got him for me a few months after my dad died. I guess she figured it would…help me. You know, being responsible for an animal would give me something to take care of, so that I wouldn't keep thinking about my dad."

Sydney nodded, the topic of their parents always a touchy subject between them. "What was his name?"

"Bear." Vaughn replied, a little smile on his face as he thought of his beloved pet. "He was a golden retriever puppy and he had these huge paws. He reminded me of a bear cub."

She smiled. "He must have been adorable." In her mind, she was picturing a laughing little boy with a faithful canine companion running after him. "Do you play sports?"

"I played soccer and hockey and baseball when I was a kid." Vaughn answered. "You already know I like the Kings and I try to catch a few baseball games every summer."

"Who's your favorite team?"

"Only the best team in baseball." He said boastfully. "The Mets, of course."

"Oh, please," She scoffed, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly.

"What?" He wrinkled a brow at her, even though he knew why she wasn't exactly impressed. "They went to the World Series two years ago." He said defensively.

"Yeah, but they didn't win."

Vaughn opened his mouth to argue, but abruptly closed it. What he could he say? She was right. "Please don't tell me you're a Yankee fan."

"Would you hold it against me if I said yes?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Oh, man!" He groaned. "It would change the way I felt about you forever." He said without thinking and then flushed when he realized how that sounded.  Luckily, the shadowy warehouse hid the color in his face.

"Well, don't worry because I'm not."  She scribbled in her notebook.

Vaughn waited a few beats for her to continue, but when she didn't, he became a little suspicious.

"So who is _your_ favorite team?"

"Mine?" She hedged.

"You are the only other person in the room." He pointed out unnecessarily.

Sydney's nose wrinkled and then she threw her face into her hands. "Oh, don't make me say it!" Her voice was muffled. "If you know, then I'll never be able to hold the Mets over your head ever again!"

He suppressed a grin. "Now you _have_ to tell me."

She sighed. "All right, the only thing I will say is that I'm a hometown girl."

His eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Yes, yes, don't say it!" She cut him off. "It's embarrassing how far they've fallen."

Vaughn brought his hand to his mouth to stifle his chuckle at her antics. "That Piazza trade was the worst." He choked out.

"Oh, my God, don't remind me of that!" Sydney sputtered. "_That's_ the reason why I haven't been to a game in 5 years!"

Vaughn could no longer hold in his laughter. He gave a roar and a snort and when Sydney looked at him, she couldn't help but join in.

"Did we just spend 5 minutes talking about something as mundane as baseball?" Vaughn asked later as he wiped his eyes.

"Just like two normal people."

"Who are anything but." He finished soberly.


	2. Making plans...

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.

Summary: Continuation of _Valentine's Day_.

**CIA Headquarters **(a few days later) Tick…tick…tick… 

Michael Vaughn tried to concentrate on the paperwork in front of him but he was having a hard time keeping his mind on his work.  He stole a glance at the clock on his desk.  6 more hours until he would get to see Sydney again. For a brief moment, he let himself think about her. Her smile, sometimes so fragile it would break his heart and other times so defiant, it would inspire fear in men twice her size. The way she would never directly look at him when they were in public, hiding behind the silky-smooth curtain of hair that he longed to brush away from her face just once. The resolve and conviction in her voice whenever she spoke about taking down SD-6.  He admired her so much, but it wasn't just your typical male reaction to a beautiful woman.  Yes, he was wildly attracted to her, but he knew himself well enough to know that if there hadn't been a brain behind those soft brown eyes, he wouldn't be this far gone.

Tick…tick…tick… 

He felt his facial muscles relax into a grin as he thought back a few days ago to their last meeting.  It had felt sort of like a first date, when you're just getting to know a person you've had a crush on for ages and you're tripping over the questions you want to ask. Well, actually, she had been asking all the questions, but then he already knew a lot about her, didn't he? _But it wasn't a date_, his rational side reminded him. _You're not supposed to have a personal relationship with your Agent, Handler_.

Vaughn winced.  Okay, so he wasn't showing the best judgment where Sydney was concerned and one of these days, it might put her in real danger.  _If only she weren't so damned irresistible_… 

Vaughn looked at the clock again.  Only 5 minutes had passed since the last time he had looked.  With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he turned the clock away from him and tried to focus once again.

Credit Dauphine 

Sydney Bristow strolled out of the briefing room ahead of Marshall and Dixon.  Sloane had just congratulated her for obtaining the cloning formula and from preventing K-Directorate from getting their hands on the plans. To reward her, she was free for the next few days until her next mission, which suited her just fine.  

Because Sydney had some very special plans for tonight.  Most specifically was her plan for Agent Michael Vaughn.

She sailed by her desk, noticing that her computer was currently showing a "Felicity" screensaver.  Marshall had given it to her the other day, mumbling something about the "dark-haired" guy.  She rarely had time to watch TV, so she didn't know who any of the actors were. The blond guy was good-looking, if a bit squinty-eyed. The girl was pretty, with those enviable blonde ringlets that Sydney used to crave for as little girls with stick-straight hair always did. She studied the dark-haired guy for a moment. He was cute with his puppy-dog blue eyes and a nice smile. Then she shrugged as she turned off the computer.  _Not my type_, she shook her head, and grabbed her tote and the garment bag that was hanging on the coat rack behind her desk.

Sydney ducked into the ladies' room—empty most of the time because there weren't a lot of women who worked at SD-6. _Why was that_? She mused. _Wasn't Sloane an Equal Opportunity employer_? She gave a smirk as she locked the door behind her. There was no reason for her to undress in a cramped little stall when she could do it out in the open.

She placed her tote bag up on one of the white porcelain sinks and started unbuttoning her very businesslike plum-colored jacket.  Moments later, she was stepping out of her skirt and then hung up her suit on the extra hanger in her garment bag.  Then she pulled out The Dress.

CIA Headquarters 

Vaughn looked up at the knock on his door to see Weiss in the doorway.

"Did you want something?" He asked.

Weiss strolled into his office rather nonchalantly and sat down in the chair in front of Vaughn's desk. Weiss didn't speak right away and sat there for a moment, resting his elbows on the chair and tenting his hands up in front of him, fingertip to fingertip. A sly smile spread across his face. Vaughn's mouth quirked. He knew what was coming.

"Got a hot date tonight?" Weiss asked, a slightly lascivious look on his face.

"I'm seeing Sydney." Vaughn replied.

"Same thing." Weiss deadpanned.

"We're meeting to talk about her mission." He corrected, refusing to take the bait. "She couldn't meet me last night, so we scheduled for tonight."

"How convenient." Weiss nodded. "So what'd you get?" He inquired in a conspiratorial fashion.

"What did I get for what?" Vaughn said blankly.

"Not what, whom." Weiss rolled his eyes dramatically. "You know," He leaned in. "For Agent Bristow." He said in a low voice.

"Ohhh," Vaughn nodded, deliberate in his movements as he gathered the papers on his desk into a folder and placed it in his OUT basket. Then he folded his hands on his empty desk and met Weiss' eyes. "Was I supposed to get something for Jack?" He asked innocently. "Is he getting transferred? Retiring, maybe?"

Weiss looked put out. "Okay, don't tell me." He pouted.

Vaughn could barely suppress the grin at his fellow agent's disappointment. "Oh, come on, Weiss, you have to let me in on the joke if you expect me to play along."

Weiss shot him a disbelieving look. "You do know what today is, don't you?"

Vaughn felt a quick stab of panic. "It-It's not Sydney's birthday." He stuttered. "It's only February and her birthday is in April."

Weiss gave him a superior look. "Oh, man, you know when her birthday is?"

Vaughn flushed. "It's not as if it's classified information. It's in her file." He said defensively.

"Which you've probably memorized word for word." He quipped. "Tell me, does it make for good bedtime reading?"

Vaughn's eyes flashed irritatedly. "Do you know how close you are to experiencing the ass-kicking that I'd like to give our little friend out there?" He growled. 

"Okay, okay," Weiss conceded, knowing in his heart he'd gotten the best of his friend yet again. "What's the date today?"

Vaughn couldn't even guess and had to look at his desk calendar. "February 14th."

Weiss looked at him expectantly. "Which is also….?" He prodded.

Vaughn thought a moment and then he got it. "Valentine's Day." He croaked out.

"Bingo." Weiss crowed.

"Oh, God," Vaughn looked troubled. "I wish I could, but I can't do anything, Weiss. You remember how much flak I got when they found out I got Sydney a Christmas gift. If they found out I got her something for Valentine's Day, they'd remove me as her handler for sure."

"Yeah, Valentine's Day does have a whole other set of connotations." Weiss grimaced.

"They'd think I was interested in her—"

"Which you are." Weiss interjected.

Vaughn gave him an exasperated look. "That's not the point. The point is that if I want to, they can't find out."

"So tell me what you want to get and I'll go buy it." Weiss offered.

Vaughn was touched in spite of himself. "You would do that?"

"Sure," Weiss shrugged. "The saleswoman will think I have a girlfriend. Maybe she'll come on to me."

Vaughn grinned.

"So what sounds good?" Weiss clapped his hands together. "Chocolates, roses, sexy lingerie…" He said suggestively.

"Yeah, that would _really _go over well." Vaughn shook his head. "It can't be too personal. I mean, I don't even know if she—wait a minute, I've got it!" He booted up his computer. "Weiss, give me 10 minutes to check something out and I'll let you know where to go."

Note: Sorry to any Ben fans out there, but Scott Foley has always been the one for me and since he's Jennifer's favorite as well, he had to get the girl this time!


	3. Dinner and a New Beginning...

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. 

Summary: Conclusion of _Valentine's Day_.

Warehouse 

Sydney arrived at the warehouse after dark, bags of all sizes and shapes hanging from her arms. Thank goodness she had thought to bring some of her props over the night before, when she told Vaughn she couldn't meet him because she was tired from her trip.

Her movements were stealthy as she slipped in through a door. She hurried over to her little makeshift dining area and dropped everything she was carrying with a resounding thud. She'd have to make some time for a little weight training later on this week, Sydney chastised herself as she rubbed her sore arms, strained by the heavy bags she'd been carrying.

Sydney surveyed her surroundings. The night before, she had come to the warehouse and fashioned a "cozy" little dining nook out of a few crates pushed together. She'd covered one with a tablecloth and two more with comfy seat cushions. Two silver candlesticks with tall red tapers were sitting on the "table," waiting to be lit, along with a bottle of red wine and two wineglasses.

She opened one of her grocery bags and pulled out a vase and the bouquet of flowers she had bought. She'd always been a sucker for daisies, even though they weren't as exotic or sophisticated as Casablanca lilies or Chinese peonies. Daisies just always looked happy and bright. Lord knew she could use some of that in her life right now.

Next out of her bag was her CD boom box. She wanted some mood music, but she also wanted to let him listen to a CD she'd made for him. Last night, she'd burned a CD for Vaughn of her favorite classical pieces with a surprise shot of Stones at the end. She thought he'd get a kick out of it.

The aroma of the Italian food emanated throughout the tiny area as she placed the two takeout trays on the table. She hoped he liked veal, but even if he didn't, she had a feeling he would be too polite to say so. In any case, they could share and he could have some of her shrimp and linguine.

She banged the rock-hard pint of rocky road ice cream on the side of a crate. Still frozen solid and the cold, drafty warehouse wouldn't help defrost it, either. Well, maybe it'll be soft by the time dessert rolled around, she decided.

Sydney unbelted her black trench coat and slipped it from her shoulders. She smoothed her hands down the silky fabric of her dress, the expert cut showing off her curves to full advantage. She'd exchanged her very sensible black pumps for a pair of strappy red sandals. Her only jewelry was a delicate gold bracelet encircling her wrist.

She'd touched up her hair and makeup in the ladies room, but it wouldn't hurt to check again. She opened her tote and found her compact. Sydney had decided to wear her hair down and it fell in soft, shiny mane, the ends just brushing her shoulders after a recent trim. Her makeup was subtle, although she did spring for the crimson lipstick that matched her dress exactly. She dabbed a few drops of perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. Perfect.

Sydney checked the time on her cell phone and then turned it off. Vaughn was due in about 10 minutes. She hurriedly got rid of all her carryalls and lit the candles so that they gave off a warm glow. If she squinted, she could almost forget that this was a dark, dank warehouse and was instead an intimate romantic hideaway.

Vaughn arrived at the warehouse and noiselessly opened the door. He had a bounce in his step as he realized he would be seeing Sydney in just a few moments. He let the door close behind him and turned around. That was when he noticed a strange glow coming from a corner of the warehouse. _The corner of the warehouse where he and Sydney usually met_.

Shadows flickered along the wall as he hurriedly made his way along the concrete floor. His heart rose in his throat. Had someone followed Sydney, knocked her out, and then set fire to the place to cover his tracks?

It took an enormous amount of restraint on his part not to call out her name. If she wasn't alone, at least he'd have the element of surprise. He turned at the corner.

"Syd--" Her name was a shout halfway out of his mouth when he suddenly stopped short. He blinked a few times. Was he really seeing flowers and candlelight and Sydney in an amazing red dress or was it just his mind playing tricks on him?

"Hello, Vaughn." She murmured, a small smile on her face.

He gulped. "Sydney." He uttered her name. "What is all this?"

"Vaughn, I know you thought I was losing it last week when I was asking you all those questions, but I really did have a good reason." She smiled winningly. "See, Italian food, rocky road ice cream, jazz on the stereo…"

Vaughn's mind was whirling and his emotions were churning inside of him. The rational side of him told him that they shouldn't be doing this, that he should leave and not look back, no matter how hard it might be to do so.

But the emotional side of him (the side he really wanted to listen to, he admitted) was enormously touched by what Sydney had done. It was sweet and crazy and wonderful, but then what else would he expect from her?

"Sydney, you shouldn't have done this." He murmured.

Sydney's smile faltered a bit. _Oh, God_! Her heart dropped into her stomach. Had she totally misread the signs? Was he about to tell her that he was _flattered_ but that he didn't feel _that _way about her? She didn't think she could bear it if he said that.

"…would've been happy with a pizza and beer." Vaughn was saying in his adorably shy way.

Her pulse resumed its rapid pace. "Well, maybe I went a little overboard…"

"No, no!" He said quickly. "I think what you've done…is wonderful." He said softly.

Sydney was thrilled that he was pleased with her efforts. "Well, come on and sit down." She gestured.

"Something smells good." He lifted the cover of his foil tray. "Is this veal parmigiana?"

"Do you like veal?" She asked worriedly.

"My absolute favorite." He assured her. She smiled happily.

For the next few hours, Sydney and Vaughn treated their dinner as if they were on a real date. They told each other funny stories about their childhoods, conversed about books and movies, politics and hobbies. The subject of work was never mentioned.

After dinner, Sydney and Vaughn found themselves sitting next to each other on a crate, sharing the carton of ice cream. In all her meticulous planning, she had forgotten to bring bowls in which to serve the ice cream, so they wound up taking turns, passing it back and forth whenever their fingers got frozen or when someone was particularly grabby.

"Thank you for tonight, Sydney." Vaughn licked a drip of melted ice cream from his finger. Sydney found that unbelievably sexy and had to look away, so that her eyes wouldn't betray her. "I think this was the best Valentine's Day I ever had."

"You're kidding?" Sydney looked surprised. This wasn't exactly the Ritz Carlton, after all. "Didn't you ever go out with Alice?"

"I think I was always working." He looked regretful. "Our first year together, she was upset. The second year, she was disappointed. The third year, I think she expected it."

"I'm sorry." She murmured.

"What about you?" Vaughn turned the focus on her. "I bet Danny went all out for you, didn't he?" _I know I would_.

Sydney's lips curved into a smile. "Our first year, he sent me three dozen red roses and took me out to the fanciest restaurant in town and then we went dancing afterwards." Her eyes grew hazy as she remembered. "Then the next year, he filled my bathtub with rose petals and he cooked me dinner and we spent the evening at home." She felt a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

Vaughn didn't know what to say. No matter what the reason was for their being together tonight, she was still hurting because Danny was gone.

"I'm sorry they took him away from you." He said finally, his voice a low whisper. In a bold move, he put an arm around her shoulder. He was relieved when she didn't flinch or pull away.

"Me too." Sydney said in a tired voice. Without even realizing what she was doing, she laid her head against the crook of his neck. He felt warm and solid next to her and it was comforting. "I think he would've liked you." She mused.

Vaughn felt the silkiness of her hair against his cheek and the scent of her perfume filling his senses and he wondered what the protocol was when you wanted to kiss a woman who was reminiscing about her dead fiancé.

Sydney moved away from him just then and the moment passed. He watched as she stood up and started to clear away the remains of their dinner.

Sydney's emotions were all jumbled up inside of her and the only thing she could think to do was to keep moving, preferably away from Vaughn. She knew it wasn't rational to feel guilty about betraying Danny—he was dead, she knew that—but it still felt disloyal to have such strong feelings towards another man.

Without warning, hot tears squeezed from her eyes and her vision became blurred. _Damn_, she cursed silently, not knowing if she was angry for crying because Danny was gone or because Vaughn was slowly taking his place in her heart.

"Sydney," Vaughn was suddenly behind her.

Sydney surreptitiously wiped at her eyes. "Yes?" She tried to keep the sob out of her voice, but was unsuccessful.

"Why are you crying?"  
  


"It's nothing." She turned to face him, her eyes still bright, glistening in the candlelight.

"It's not nothing." He said gently. "Don't pull away from me, Syd. Talk to me."

Sydney looked down. "You'll think I'm a basket case if I tell you." She mumbled.

"Well, I already think you're a basket case, taking all the risks that you do, so whatever you tell me won't change my opinion of you." His voice was teasing as he tried to coax a smile from her.

Sydney let out a short laugh and he felt as if he'd grabbed the brass ring. "Well, that's reassuring." She laughed again and suddenly she knew she could tell him anything and he would understand. He wouldn't judge her or think badly of her. He would just listen and he would understand.

"Vaughn, you know I planned this entire evening as a kind of first date, right?" She began.

"Yeah, I figured that out pretty quickly." He smiled.

"Maybe it was presumptuous of me--"

"No," He cut in. "You took the initiative. It's one of the many things I admire about you, Sydney."

She felt a warm glow suffuse her entire body. "So is it safe to say that we both feel an…attraction to each other?" She said tentatively.

"To put it mildly." He drawled. _Lust, desire, _love (?) also came to mind.

She gave him a little smile. "Then I don't know why I feel guilty."

"It's completely understandable, Sydney." His eyes never left her face. "Danny was the guy you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with. Then he was taken from you in the worst way imaginable, but that doesn't mean the feelings you had for him died with him."

"I'm not trying to take Danny's place in your heart, Sydney. I don't want to do that. You loved him and I would never expect you to forget that. The people we love and have loved make us who we are."

Vaughn reached out to take her hands in his. "What I do want is my own place, Sydney. A place where you keep your feelings only for me." He brought her hand to his lips and brushed them against her soft skin.

_God, after a speech like that, was it any wonder how she could easily fall in love with this man_? But he was right. A part of her would always love Danny and a part of her soul would always be with him, but he was gone and Vaughn was here and she knew she didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life.

"Vaughn?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to dance?" She smiled at him to let him know she was all right again.

He rewarded her with a heart-melting smile of his own. "Definitely."

For the next few moments, Sydney and Vaughn were completely oblivious to their surroundings. Gone were the warehouse and the crates and the chain-link fencing; in their place was a moonlit night, a fragrant breeze and the feeling that they were the only two people left in the world.

"Sydney?" Vaughn whispered in her ear, his voice low and velvety. She felt a shiver up and down her spine.

"Hmmm?"

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look in that dress tonight?"

Sydney smiled languidly, like a cat stretching in the sun. "Would you believe me if I said I bought it with you in mind?"

Vaughn smiled. "At this moment, if you told me the moon was made of green cheese, I'd believe you."

"Well, it's true. That's really how all this came about. I saw it and I wondered what it would be like for you to see me in it. Then I had to come up with a way that you could." She flashed her dimples at him. "After all, it's not as if I could come strolling in here in high heels and a hot red dress."

"If you had done that, I think my blood pressure would have gone through the roof." Vaughn wisecracked.

Sydney let out an amused chuckle. "Well, then I think this way was definitely more conducive to your health."

"Well, I don't know about _that_." Vaughn raised an eyebrow. "It's not my blood pressure that's rising." He said huskily, in an uncharacteristically suggestive undertone. Sydney's eyes widened and then she blushed. 

"What time is it?" Sydney murmured after awhile, her head resting on Vaughn's shoulder as they swayed to the music.

Vaughn looked at his wristwatch. "A little after midnight." He responded.

She lifted her head to look at him. "Valentine's Day is over." She said with some regret.

"Are you going to be turning into a pumpkin soon?" He quipped.

"No, but I do have an early class tomorrow." She reluctantly extracted herself from his arms. She turned to start cleaning up and gathering her things.

Vaughn suddenly remembered his gift. "Sydney, wait." He grabbed her hand. "Even though I don't want this evening to end, I know it has to eventually and I wanted to give you something."

She looked surprised but pleased. "You didn't have to--"

"I know, but I wanted to." He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Before I give you this, I want to say that I wish it could be more personal." He held out the envelope and she took it, sitting down on a crate as she did so.

Sydney caught the odd note in his voice. "Is there a reason it can't be?"

"Yeah." He replied without elaboration.

"You're talking about the picture frame, right?" She prodded him. "Vaughn, did you get into any trouble for giving me that gift?" She asked shrewdly.

"Sydney, I'd rather not get into it." He said uncomfortably, not wanting to bring up Haladki and Barnett and everything they had stirred up. Not tonight, anyway. "Can't we just keep this night as perfect as it's been?"

"Okay," She said slowly, knowing that somehow she'd get the full story out of him. But that was for another day. Not for tonight.

With great anticipation, Sydney opened the flap and pulled out three tickets. "These are tickets to a Dodgers game." She said, the surprise evident on her face.

"Yeah, for opening weekend."

Sydney wasn't quite sure what to make of her gift. She was touched that he had thought of her, but let's face it, baseball tickets weren't exactly the most romantic gift in the world. She considered Vaughn to be a man of some taste and thought that perhaps he would have gotten her tickets to the ballet or the opera or even _The Lion King_. _But baseball_ _tickets_?

"Well, thank you." She said politely. Maybe Francie and Will would go with her. Then she inspected the tickets more closely. "Wait a minute. These are single tickets for a 3-game series."

"Uh-huh."

Sydney frowned. "You expect me to go to a baseball game by myself?"

"Well, maybe you'll make some new friends." Vaughn suggested.

"Or maybe I'll get stuck sitting next to some obnoxious, beer-guzzling drunk!" She fumed, realizing too late that she might have sounded ungrateful.

Vaughn stifled a laugh. "Sydney, I swear that two beers are my limit." He said solemnly, raising his right hand as if taking an oath.

She looked at him in consternation and then a realization dawned on her. Her mouth parted into an "O."

Vaughn's sensual lips curved into an amused smile. "Sydney, did you happen to see who they're playing opening weekend?"

Sydney glanced at the tickets. "They're playing the Mets." She gave Vaughn a raised eyebrow.

"I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to re-introduce you to Great American Pastime. You told me you hadn't been to a game in five years." He reached into his other pocket and waved his tickets in front of her. "You'll be able to see how a real baseball team plays."

"I don't believe it!" Her eyes lit up delightedly. An actual in-public sort-of-date? "Vaughn, do we dare? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that you wouldn't go to the Kings game with me?"

"I know and I'm sorry I turned you down." He looked apologetic. "That's partly why I'm trying to make up for that now."

"So what's going to change in two months?"  
  


"Probably not much." He admitted. "It'll still be complicated and dangerous. Of course, you know we'll have to arrive separately and pretend that we're just meeting for the first time." He looked at her. "If anyone happens to be watching, it'll look like a blind date."

"And even though we have to go through this elaborate charade, you still want to do it?" She looked at him skeptically. "Why?"

Vaughn didn't reply right away, gathering his thoughts. "Sydney, I've been thinking a lot." He said slowly. "About you and me and my father and your mother."

Sydney looked downcast, but said nothing.

"They both had their lives ended…abruptly. There was no time for them to say goodbye, make amends, do all the things they planned to do in the future." Vaughn caught Sydney's gaze and held it. "You live a very dangerous life, Sydney. Whenever you go away, I always wonder if I'm ever going to see you again. My stomach is in knots and I have trouble sleeping and I'm pretty much hell to be around."

"But then when you're home and I know you're safe, it's as if the greatest weight has been lifted off my shoulders." He gave her a little smile. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that all that agony I go through has to mean something."

"What I'm trying to say--even though I'm being long-winded in trying to say it--is that you've become one of the most important people in my life, Sydney, and I would consider it the biggest regret of my life if something happened to you before we had a chance to figure out what it is we're dancing around." Vaughn had laid his heart bare for her and now it was up to her to figure out what she wanted to do with it.

Sydney felt her own heart doing flip-flops in her chest. Without breaking his gaze, she stood up and walked over to him. She took his face in her hands and she kissed him before she had time to talk herself out of it. Vaughn responded immediately to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her back, with equal fervor and passion. This was where they were meant to be.

THE END

Note: Thanks for indulging me in my sappy, romantic fantasy.  I figure that's all we'll have between Sydney and Vaughn this Valentine's Day, but hey, there's always next year! I appreciated all your positive feedback!  I had fun writing this and hopefully, you'll be hearing from me again soon.


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